Report sought on Ballia MDM ‘discrimination’

Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (UPSCPCR) has sought a report from Ballia district administration in connection with a viral video,

Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (UPSCPCR) has sought a report from Ballia district administration in connection with a viral video, said to be of a school in the district, showing alleged caste-based discrimination during serving of mid-day meal.

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The video shows children of a particular community sitting separately and eating mid-day meal in leaf plates while the majority of children ate out of steel plates.

UPSCPCR chairperson Vishesh Gupta said, “The district administration has been asked to submit a report on this video. The DM has been asked to submit a report and if the video is genuine, action should be taken.”

As per the education department official, the video is reportedly of July and shows two students eating out of banana leave plates while others are using steel plates. When the person shooting the video questioned the primary school principal Purshottam Gupta, he said they were from a particular community and sat separately on their own.

Meanwhile, DM of Ballia Bhawani Singh Khangarot said a probe had been ordered into the incident.

“I am aware of the viral video. A probe has been ordered,” he said and added, “I have visited the school to take stock of the situation. Things are normal there.”

A district administration official, requesting anonymity, said , “A school teacher told us that they ask students to sit together and eat but they sit in separate groups themselves. Maybe they’ve learnt it (discrimination) at home.”

Mayawati slams

Discrimination

in Ballia school

BSP chief Mayawati has slammed the state government over discrimination meted out to Dalit students in a primary school in Ballia. In a tweet, she said the news of Dalit students being made to sit and eat separately in a government school in Ballia was most condemnable and sad. “The BSP demands the state government to immediately take strict legal action against people responsible for such racist discrimination so that others get a lesson and such cases do not recur,” she said.